Farmers raise stink over New Zealand 'fart tax'

Farmers blocked the streets of New Zealand's capital, Wellington, yesterday in protest at plans to impose the world's first "fart tax" on livestock flatulence.

Nicknamed the "back-door tax", the levy is intended to fund research into reducing the 37m tonnes of methane blown off each year by New Zealand's sheep, cattle and deer. Four hundred farmers with 20 tractors rallied outside parliament. An opposition MP led a cow named Energy up the steps of the building.

"New Zealand farmers are completely unsubsidised, completely unprotected in a hugely distorted global market," said the president of Federated Farmers, Tom Lambie. "The imposition of this unnec essary levy is just another cost we shouldn't have to bear."

A petition against the policy - which is likely to cost the average farmer NZ$300 (£110) a year - has gained more than 64,000 signatures, equal to nearly half of all New Zealand farmers.

Despite the proposed levy being dubbed the "fart tax", more than 90% of livestock methane comes from burping, rather than flatulence.

Wind from New Zealand's 30m sheep, 10m cattle and 2m deer accounts for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, well ahead of industries such as transport and electricity generation. The New Zealand government has demanded the levy to speed research into ways of cutting livestock emissions before the start of the compliance period for the Kyoto protocol in 2008.